Background:
The major cropping system in India is paddy-wheat system. Paddy straw management is one of the major concerns of this cropping system. Each year, millions of tonnes of straw are produced from paddy and wheat cultivation. Straw from wheat is used to feed cattle, however, paddy straw remains a major problem for farmers. This unfortunately leads to farmers opting for straw burning to quickly prepare the field for wheat sowing. However, straw burning has enormous environment degrading consequences. Paddy straw multipurpose media (PSMM) will be able to address both the issues as the proposed media contain major portion of paddy straw:
Technology Details:
To solve these issues farming and scientific community has been waiting for some solution/to alternate use of paddy straw for any beneficial product development. An alternate to expensive cocopeat, a cost-effective media was developed in which major constituent used is paddy straw. In future, developed media will replace cocopeat for soilless cultivation of horticultural crop like in nursery raising, mushroom cultivation, hardening media as well as for vegetable seed germination. It can be used for minituber production in net house, hardening media for micro-plants, micro-plants multiplication, TPS germination, soilless cultivation of high-value vegetables in protected condition, vegfast-rooftop gardening in peri-urban areas and media for mushroom cultivation.